The incident, which is captured in body-worn camera footage obtained by Phoenix New Times, is now the subject of a lawsuit.
In January of 2024, in the midst of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that wound up finding a disturbing pattern of abuse against children, three Phoenix cops arrived at a family’s home late one night. By the time they left, roughly 45 minutes later, they had tackled a 16-year-old boy, broken his wrist and busted open his chin.
“This lawsuit exposes how Phoenix Police officers not only ignored their legal duty to protect a teenager but actively encouraged his abuse and then brutalized him for exercising his right to record them. Sergio Nino was a 16-year-old kid in his own home. Instead of safeguarding him, the officers told his father to beat him, fractured his wrist, and left him scarred for life. What happened to Sergio is indefensible and unconstitutional, and this case seeks to hold the City of Phoenix accountable for allowing that culture of impunity to persist.”
Larry WulkanAttorney Representing Sergio Nino III
Read the full article at Phoenix New Times
